Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PERCIVAL SPOONR, OF PORTMADOG, ENGLAND.

IMPRoVEMENT IN cAR-couPLlNes.y

Specieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,367, dated April 28, 1874; application filed September 23, 1873.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, GEORGE PEECIVAL SPooNEn, of Portmadoc, in the county of Oarcarriage, and Fig. 2 is a plan View of the saine detached. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the spring-box, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same.

A A' are rodsforming at once the bufferrods and draw-rods of two adjoining carriages. Near the point of its connection with or at the center of motion of the bogie-carriage I make fast a lug, B, to receive a vertical coupling'- pin, b, which, passing through an eye, c, of wrought-iron, bolted to a cast-iron plate forming the end of a spring-box, C, secures this spring-box to the carriage-frame, and allows it to swing freely or yield to deviations in the direction of the drat'twithout ati'eeting the carriage to which it is attached. The springbox is cast with a shoulder, against which bears one of two hollow pistons, D D', the latter of.

which bears against a cover, c', bolted to the spring-box C. These pistons are held apart by coiled or other springs E E, which, with the pistons, are retained within the box by the cover c'. A central opening is ma'de in this cover to allow a shoulder, a, of the coupling-rod to play through it, and bear upon the back of the adjacent piston D'. A squared continuation of this rod passes through the two pistons, and in rea-r of the piston D it receives a retaining-nut, c'. The opposite or outer end of each coupling-rod is formed with a U- shaped head, F, which heads are intended to act as buffer-heads and to be coupled up in pairs, and held in close contact. rlhcse heads are similarlyT fitted with two transverse pins, the innermost of which forms the pivot for a connecting or draw hook, G, and the other carries or is formed with an eccentric, H, for re- ,ceiv'ing the hook of the adjacent head (when it is desired to couple up the carriages) and retain ahold thereof. To eii'ect the holding of the hook, the pin is fitted with a weighted arm, H', which, when allowed to drop toward a vertical position, will bring round the eccentric, and cause it to bind upon the hook overlying the coupling-pin.

lhe action of vthis coupling and buing apparatus is as follows: When pressure is put upon the buffer-head, that pressure will betransmitted through the shoulder a of the rod A to the piston D', and the coiled springs in the spring-box will be compressed. NVhen the rod acts as a draw-bar, the nut a' on its extremity will press against the rear ot' the piston D, and in like manner the springs in the spring-box will be compressed. To facilitate the making up of trains, I propose to iit the draw and bui'er rods of all the carriages siniilarly with a draw-hoof: and weighted eccentric binder, as indicated by dots in Fig. 1.

I am aware that the draw-bar or bumper has been arranged on a car, so as to have a lateral yielding motion; but such of itself is not claimed by me.

Having now set forth the nature of my invention of improved coupling and buing apparatus for railway-carriages, I wish it to be understood that I claiml. The lug D, eye c, and coupling-pin b, coinbined with the spring-box C, for attaching said box to the carriage, substantially as described.

2. The lug B, eye c, coupling-pin b, and box C, combined with the movable pistons D D', and springs E E on opposite sides of the bar A, lall constructed to .operate `substantially as described.

The draw-hook G and weighted eccentric H, in combination with the buEer-heads of the rods A A', in the manner and forthe purpose above described.

London, August 15, 187 3.

GEORGE PERCIVAL SPOONER.

Witnesses:

1I. K. WHITE,

66 Chancery Lane, London. J. B. WYNN,

24 Royal Exchange, London. 

